Scrawl Calibur Two Week Theme Set FM
by emo-geek-87
Summary: Written for a two week theme set. 14 drabbles of about 500 words each, give or take.


**Title:** Scrawl Calibur- Two Week Theme Set F/M  
**Author:** emo_chick_87  
**Pairing,Character(s):** Finn/Mercedes  
**Rating:** G-R  
**Word Count:** 6109  
**Spoilers:** Season 2  
**Genre:** Angst/Romance  
**Warnings:** bullying violence/blood, Aftermath of an attempted rape, talk of previous domestic violence, sexual situations.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee.  
**Summary:** Written for a two week theme set. 14 drabbles of about 500 words each, give or take. 

Smoke- _Where There's Fire_

Her bare feet sink in the dewy wet grass. The edge of her robe brushes over the delicate bones of her ankles, sending shivers through her body. She watches as the men in yellow rush around her front yard. The police are asking her mom about what happened. When she hears her mom use words like shattered glass and Molotov cocktail, she visibly flinches. The ghosting spray of the water hits her face and all she knows is she wants to leave.

Her mom is talking to the cops. Her brother is calling anyone who could ever have his back in an attempt to find out who did this. Her baby sister is clinging desperately to her mom's leg, silent tears of fear rolling down delicate cheeks. It's easier than it should be for her to walk away. She just turns and slips into the darkness.

She walks down the middle of the deserted street, her arms hanging limp at her sides. The pavement is rough on her bare feet and her steps are slow. She feels like she's walking through molasses. She doesn't think about where she's going. Doesn't even really care. The wind whips her hair away from her face and before she knows it she's in front of the Hummel's front door.

She knocks so lightly she's sure no one could hear it but after a few seconds Finn opens the door. His eyes are drowsy and full of sleep. The pale skin of his naked chest shines in the bright moonlight. She sees the mark she left on the skin right next to his belly button. It reminds her that this is all her fault.

She doesn't let him pull her inside. She stands on his front porch railing against the injustice of it all. Crying for all the reasons she thought he shouldn't love her. Crying for the realization that maybe she got what she deserved. She was stupid to think she deserved to love someone like him.

Her tears leave angry streaks on her soot-covered face and by the time she's finally done talking she lets Finn pull her inside.

She listens as he talks about all the reasons he loves her. All the things he has planned for their lives together. The more he talks, the less sure she is about this being her fault. He talks like they are right for each other. Like he couldn't love anyone the way he loves her.

She falls asleep wrapped protectively under his arm. When she wakes up the smell of smoke still lingers in her hair. But that's okay because Finn's smell rests on her skin.

Fragile- _Brittle Glass Falling Down_

In her mind, she knows she is sitting down. The edge of the bed digs angry grooves in the small strip of skin that the skirt just isn't quite long enough to cover. Her underwear are still locked around her knees, forcing them together. She can't make her hands work long enough to pull them back up. She knows if her fingers touch the cotton she'll have to admit how close things got to her worst nightmare.

She was always the girl that was too much. Too big. Too much of everything. She used to have nightmares about something like this happening. She used to wake up in a cold sweat imagining someone forcing themselves of her. This time, unlike all the dreams, she had gotten her knee up in time. His shuddering breath fluttered on her neck and she almost gagged. She heard him stumble to the door and the click of the door closing is the closest thing to heaven she's ever know.

She doesn't hear the door opening for a second time. Just like she doesn't hear the shocked, angry gasp from across the room. His voice is shaky when she finally hears it. His hands are inches from her arm. She knows he means it in a comforting way but she shrinks back from him anyway. But Finn Hudson was brave. He waited patiently until she was able to stand on her own two feet. He eased her slightly torn panties back up and made sure not to brush his fingertips across her thighs. No matter how much he had been wishing he could for the past two months.

She straightens her shirt and flattens her hair. She can't look at him. She know that if she does, this really happened. His big hands cradling her face send pleasant shivers down her spine. He forces her to look at him. Her eyes are wide, panic-filled and glazed in tears. The only thing she can think is _He knows._

She was ready to fall apart. She was fragile glass. Brittle and ready to break at any second. His warmth was the glue that kept her from cracking. Him singing along to the radio as he drives her home stops the weight of the night from crashing down on her. The sound of his voice makes her feel less stupid about waking up shivering and bawling her eyes out. The _ping, ping_ of pebbles hitting her window and Finn's lumbering body pulling himself up the lattice makes Mercedes remember how to laugh. Finn's lips are soft on hers in a way _his_ weren't. She kisses him like she always does in the dreams she has when she's happy. His warm arms wrapped tightly around her as she sobs into his chest make her feel like it's okay to be a little broken sometime.

He sees her cracks and he's not leaving.

Footsteps- _Baby Girl Hudson_

It happens sooner than they thought. Nia was the kind of child that did everything in her own. They both should have realized that this was no different.

The day it happened was one like every other before. Finn had just finished giving Nia her bottle and Mercedes had finally been able to start editing one of her author's newest work. The project was her first back after her maternity leave and she was anxious to start.

Finn had just put her down amongst her favorite toys and Mercedes shifted to let him slip in behind her on the couch. His arm draped across her chest and her shoulders melted into him. She'd missed this. The nights spent wrapped in Finn's arm on the couch, her glasses perched on the end of her nose and Finn reading over her shoulder, his hand resting protectively over the life they had made together.

She feels Finn chuckle against her back and she can't help but join him. She did have to agree. The new book was looking very promising. Their giggles and the crackle of the fireplace almost drowns out the tiny gurgle of excitement. Their heads snap up to look in unison.

Her legs are wobbly. Her hands thrown wildly out to her sides. Her little brow crinkling in concentration. They are frozen for her first three steps. Their eyes welling with tears. She stumbles slightly and falls back hard. Her mouth quirks slightly and before she pulls herself back up. She picks up speed and almost runs the five steps left to the couch. Mercedes throws the manuscript to the side and scoops Nia up to rest on her chest. Her smile is bright.

Finn whispers excited praise. Mercedes can only feel the warmth that radiates from all side of her. Her husband pressed firmly to her back. Her daughter cradled protectively to her front and a heart so full that she thought it might burst.

She lets her tears of joy stream down her face as they both bask in their baby girl's first footsteps.

Hair- _Variations_

He likes her hair. Mercedes will spend hours holding back waves of shivering pleasure as his fingertips dance long the hairline at the back of her neck. His eyes bulge to cartoonish proportions when she wears braided pigtails. When they're listening to Mr. Schue drone on and on in glee, Finn will absentmindedly start twirling small strands of it around his thick finger. Most of the time, she doesn't even think he knows he's doing it. Finn likes her hair. That's why she so confused.

He is pressed between her thighs. His hard cock presses firmly into her hip and he kisses down her neck. His hand comes up to meet his lips and his fingers inch towards her hair. The craving for him to touch her there almost overwhelms her. She doesn't know why, but Finn never touches her hair when they have sex. Frankly, it's kinda starting to piss her off. Lately, she's been having vivid dreams of his thick fingers fisting her hair as he pounds into her. But of course, he doesn't do that either. He's soft and sweet and gentle. It's one of the things she loves about him. But she wants to see him lose it too.

He's inching himself down her body when she catches his shoulders and forces him to look at her.

"Baby, why don't you touch my hair? You know how much I love it." Mercedes whispered.

"I...I...just can't, okay? Not when we're like this. Not when _you're _like this." His voice is strained.

She pushes him away with a firm hand on his chest as anger fills her. "When _I'm_ like what?"

She can see the moment his resolve cracks and he's about to spill about what the hell is going on. His hand reaches towards her before pulling back almost violently to rest at his side.

"When we're like this," He gestures to the fact they are both very much naked. " I can't just touch it. I know I won't be able to control myself and I'll want to pull it. I'll want to be... _rough with you._" The last part is whispered so softly she has to strain to hear it.

"You know, you don't always have to be soft. It's okay if you want to be rough. I kinda want that too sometimes." She feels shy in a way she's not used to.

Finn gives her a soft smile and they make soft love. It' wonderful but Finn's hands don't venture past her hips. She feels like she might not have gotten through to him. Until the next time, he gets her alone.

That time, his hand slide around the back of her neck and his fingers fan through her thick hair. When he closes his fist and pulls her neck back, she thinks this might be the beginning of something beautiful. Then pleasure clouds her eyes and all she sees is Finn.

Power- _Lightening and Thunder_

Mercedes Jones is a harcore, badass, rocking diva. She can stop homophobes with a single look. She can make someone smile with a quirk of her lip. She can make you feel smart just because she said so. She is pretty much the coolest chick that Finn Hudson has ever met. That's why he feels like he's on fire.

He knows that she probably doesn't realize what's she's doing. She was sleeping on the sofa in the basement when the lights flicked off and the thunder started. In the darkness, Finn can hear Kurt's soft snore and her shudder breath. A large crash of thunder is followed by her terrified whimper and her soft footfalls trying to find comfort. When she crawls into bed next to him, he knows she thinks he's Kurt.

She's curled on her side and her back is to him. She is murmuring to herself about daddies getting mad and making the house shake. Her shoulders tremble and he can't help himself. He slides over to fit her under his arm. She curves perfectly against his chest and her hips fit firmly into his groin. He's never been this close to her but now that he has, he isn't entirely sure he can live without it.

Her shaking stops and her hand moves to pull his arm from her hips. She nestles his forearm against the underside of her breasts and her warmth makes his head swim. He cuddles closer to her as her soft breathing lulls him to sleep.

The next morning he wakes up her her hair tickling his nose and her hand under his shirt against his bare stomach. She wakes up feel safe for the first time in her life and can't help but bring her lips up to meet his in thanks.

They don't mind that the power still hasn't come back on. They kiss in the sunlight.

Birthday- _Countdown to Thirty_

The day she turns five years old, she wakes up to the sound of her father's tire squealing off in the distance.

The day she turns eight, she is playing hopscotch by herself in the backyard when someone throws a rock at her over the fence. She doesn't see it coming and she loses her balance. She ends up breaking her arm in two places.

The day she turns twelve she spends it with food poisoning after her baby brother cooked her breakfast in bed. She really couldn't be that mad at him. He honestly thought the ham was supposed to be green.

The day she turns fourteen she wakes up to the sound of her mother sobbing. They spend the day at the hospital. Gran tries to stay with them until the minute Mercedes came into the world for the first time. She promises she'll stay that long. Mercedes was born at 8:07 pm. Her Gran makes it to 8:05.

The day she turns sixteen is the day she thinks she finally fell in love. That day she dressed up. She had her heart broken wearing red leather and she missed The Sound of Music.

The day she turns seventeen Finn kisses her under the bleachers. He wishes her a happy birthday and hands her a necklace with a small gold heart locket. She thinks he's playing a joke on her but she looks around and she can't see anybody waiting for the punchline. When he kisses her again, she isn't so sure he isn't serious.

The day she turns nineteen, she's two months into her first year of college. Living in New York is great. Only in New York do you get birthday kisses on the subway platform while a couple of fierce looking drag queens whistle at you for pulling such a fine white boy.

The day she turns twenty four, she finds out she's just landed one of the most coveted internships at one of the most coveted publishing houses in the world. When she comes home to tell Finn, she finds him kneeling on the floor.

The day she turns twenty five she has a gold band on her ring finger and enough good birthdays to outweigh the bad. She tells Finn about the baby when he brings her breakfast in bed.

The day she turns twenty eight she hears she daughter call her Mama for the first time.

The day she turns thirty, she eats pancakes in bed and drowns in syrup-covered kisses. She thinks about broken arms and dying grandmothers. About food poisoning and broken hearts and daddies leaving.

She thinks of hopscotch with her daughter and wedding rings. About bleacher kisses and subway kisses and the boy who stayed.

Promise- _Love Drunk_

The basement is practically empty now. The party ended about twenty minutes before and after the bustle of people leaving, it's just them now. Kurt is flitting around the room, nervously swiping at surfaces covered in unknown substances. Mercedes is slouched sideways on the white sofa, peppering the silence with drunk, hiccuped giggles. Finn is watching Mercedes.

She starts talking and once she's going she doesn't stop. She babbles about how hard life has been lately. How hard it is to be in love with someone that doesn't love you back. How tired she is of living in her own skin. Halfway though she shakes her head and giggles again. She gives Finn a small smile and it draws him to sit on the coffee table in front of her.

Her voice is quiet and nervous. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, hun. I'm not mad at you." The endearment slips from his lips before he can stop it but it makes her smile so he doesn't mind so much.

"Good. That's good... Are you having fun?" His quick nodding makes her eyes cross. "You promise?"

"I promise." Finn says with a smile in his voice.

She holds her pinkie out towards him. He hooks his pinkie around her and gasps at the jolt that travels through him where their skin touch. She doesn't let go as she stands up and declares she needs to go home. He follows her upstairs with their fingers locked together the entire way up. When they get upstairs Burt shakes his keys to let him now he'll wait in the truck for her.

Her purse is tucked under his arm and her hand rests on the strap. Her fingers clutching at the fabric at his shoulder. She reaches up to whisper in his ear.

"Can I kiss you before I leave?" Her soft voices rockets up Finn's spine.

He nods slightly before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. She tastes like strawberry and salt. It's the best thing Finn has ever tasted. She pulls away licking her lips and grabs her purse from him. She slides it under her arm and fixes her hair in the mirror. She gives a satisfied _hmmm_ before grabbing him by his collar and pulling him down for another kiss.

This time she doesn't ask permission. This time Finn feels a little drunk. This time they only break apart when Burt's horn sounds from outside.

Burt chuckles as Mercedes babbles about how awesome life is. About what it feels like to be in love with someone that you think might like you back. She makes him pinkie swear that he'll let her keep coming to the house even after her being so drunk.

The drive makes her falls asleep. Her head rests against the cool window and her breath leaves fog on the window. Burt isn't sure if he heard her right but he thinks she just said _Finn_. When he gets home he sees the smile on Finn's face and knows he heard her correctly.

Finn pinkie swears he won't break Mercedes' heart.

Find- _Thickwoods and Wind Chimes_

A soft ping and a shuddered breath is all the evidence that something isn't right. Finn's pretty sure he's the only one that even heard them. Lately, he's been so focused on everything about Mercedes that he'd even recognize the almost inaudible sniff of disgust she would give sometimes. Her brow would furrow slightly and her chest would collapse on itself for a split second. He'd spent a long time looking at the rise and fall of her chest. When glee is over, he watches as she keeps up the front that she's okay. She tells Kurt she's going to take the long way home and heads towards the densely wooded area behind the school. He watches her walk away until the bright purple of her hoodie fades behind the green.

Three hours later, Finn is staring at the front door. His bottom lip is bitten sore and his knee is nervously bouncing up and down. Burt gives him a sideways worried look but doesn't say anything. It's five minutes after six. Since he moved into the Hummel's, there hasn't been a weekday that Mercedes hasn't breezed through that door at 5:30pm.

By six-thirty he knows he doesn't have a choice. He gets to her front door five minutes faster than is legal. He's pretty sure he'll have two new red light tickets in his near future. He knocks on the door for three straight minutes before he gives up. There's no car in the driveway and all the lights are off.

The wind hits him and the wind chime breaks the silence. He knows where she is. In that instant he _knows_ where she is. He decides to walk from her place. The woods are only a few minutes from where she lives. Thin branches slap him in the face as he cuts through the dense overgrowth. The hill is a few feet up from the thickwood. The wind whips her hair around her face and she is huddled on the bench at the top of the hill.

When he finally reaches her, he realizes he hadn't planned what he was going to say. Instead he stand silently, awkwardly shifting back and forth. His eyes drift to the small plaque by her left arm. The reason for the bench being there in the first place.

_For Sunsets and First Kisses_

_For Skinned Knees and First Born_

_For Sunrises and First Love_

_For My Ethel, From your Martin_

Her voice pulls him out of his haze.

"How did you find me?"

"I'll always find you." He whispered as he sat down beside her. He doesn't know what happened. He doesn't know if everything is going to be okay. All he knows that when Mercedes laces his fingers through hers and rests her head on his shoulder it feels like they'll have what this bench means.

They'll have sunsets and first kisses, a first born and first love. They have sunsets and sunrises. She'll be his Ethel and he'll be her Martin.

Next- _Lunch Lines_

The droning sound of _next...next ….next_ and the slow shuffle of the cafeteria line make Mercedes complacent in a way she usually never is. The smells of warm food and Kurt babbling beside her make her unfocused. Any other day and in any other place the small shove she received would have knocked her a bit and pissed her off but today isn't any other day.

Today is the day the lunch lady, Mrs. Fowler, didn't put the cutlery away properly. The day she keeps telling herself that she better tie that loose shoelace before something would pull her focus and she'd forget. Today is the day David Karofsky elbows her in the back, sending her fumbling forward. Today is the day she trips on her old shoelace and tumbles against the metal railing holding their trays. Today is the day metal pierces her soft skin and her new shirt gets stained with her blood.

Like sharks the kids of McKinley can smell blood the moment it enters the air. She looks at the hand that clutched her stomach and flinched when she saw red. Everything was quiet. She didn't hear Kurt's scream for a doctor, the frantic denials from Karofsky, the mumbled apologies of the lunch lady. The edges fade for a bit and she feels like she's going to pass out. Finn slides into her vision and he's worried face makes her smile. Her eyes blink like she's about to fall asleep and she holds her hand out to show him. Her fingers widen before she rubs her fingertips into the palm of her hand. It reminds her of the warm, wet sand she would bury her hands in when they would go to the beach.

"Finn, baby... I got _hurt._" Her voice is so soft only he can hear it. Her eyes flutter for a moment before she comes crashing in his arms.

She stays pressed against the insides of his thighs. Like so many nights before. Her back against his rapidly rising chest. Her rasping breath reminds him of how her giggle would feel when she was leaning against him like that. He cradles her in his arms until the paramedics come.

She doesn't wake up for fifteen hours. When she does, Finn is curled up next to her on the hospital bed and her stomach feels like it's on fire. When Finn's snuffles loudly against her neck, she decides to wait before telling anyone she woke up.

Any other day a shove was just a shove. An elbow was just an elbow. Today wasn't any other day.

Realize- _Oreos_

Mercedes Jones was always in his life. She was the first one to come and sit with him during snack time in Kindergarten. She shared her Oreo cookies with him every day because his mom couldn't afford to send him with anything more than a peanut butter sandwich for lunch.

She was the first person to defend him. In fourth grade a couple of sixth graders have him backed into a corner and are throwing small rocks at him. He really doesn't get why they're doing it but he guesses they really don't need an excuse. A rock hits him in the neck and he curls into himself. The barrage stops but he can't look up. A warm hand finds his and pulls him to stand up. One guy is holding his bloody nose and the other is curled up in the fetal position, clutching his junk. She walks him home. She's so nice she doesn't even bring up the fact he's crying like a baby.

In the middle of sixth grade, she sings at the talent show. He doesn't recognize the song but her voice wraps around him like a warm blanket. When she finishes singing, Finn has to wait until no one is looking to swipe at the stray tears in his eyes.

The summer after ninth grade they all start high school. He's nervously playing with his combination lock when he sees her. She grew during the summer. Now she's all curves and beauty and Finn wants her. She smiles a hello to him as she passes and he feels like a dick for checking out her ass as she walks away. But then Quinn Fabray throws him up against a locker and says they're going out. He makes himself for get about Mercedes' bright green tights and even brighter smile.

She's the first one to come see him about baby-gate breaks. She shows up at his front door with ice cream and a handful of movies. He makes some throw away comment about not being a chick. All that earns him is a light slap to the back of a head and a standing Friday night appointment for _girls_ night.

He's not sure when the pain of Quinn faded. All he knows is that every Friday night it's harder to keep his hands to himself. It harder for him to be a gentleman. It harder for him not to kiss her. He didn't even realize it but Mercedes is the first girl that has ever given him butterflies.

One Friday night, she presses her lips down on his. She tastes like Oreo cookies and defeated grade school bullies and bright smiles. She taste like ice cream and comfort and heat. She moans in his mouth and Finn knows this is it for him.

Mercedes Jones was always in his life.

Call- _Choosing_

"C'mon, Finn. It's your call." Mr. Schue's voice is tense.

Finn knows this is it. The two girls are standing in front of him on either side. One is wearing the smirk of someone who already thinks they've won. The other is frowning so slightly that he's pretty sure no one else would even notice. One is tapping one foot against the tired linoleum. The other one lets their shoulders fall in defeat a little more with every second of empty silence that passes. Finn knew this day was coming. Knew he would have to pick. They've all been dancing around the issue. All three of them say they're single. But this moment is about more than just who he wants to sing a duet with. So who does he want?

Rachel or Mercedes?

He thinks back on the last few weeks. The tense hours with Rachel begging him to take her back. The stumbling way he's always told her he needed more time to think. The awkward way she would try to kiss him on the mouth when she left and he would turn his face away from her. Ending up with lip gloss on his cheek. The gnawing feeling that she's the one that he was supposed to want. The stunning young ingenue. The handsome male lead. They were supposed to be perfect.

But then he thought about the rest of the time. The blissful moments between seeing Rachel. The soft sound of Mercedes' laugh that floated up the stairs from the basement. The marathon bouts of _Grand Theft Auto_. The comforting press of her head on his shoulder when she fell asleep during the weekly group viewing of _True Blood_. They fit together perfectly. Her warm hand would find the inside of his thigh in her sleep and he would forget that she was his new brother's friend. He would forget that she would probably want nothing to do with him in public. He forgot that guys like him didn't end up with the kind of girls that could hang like a guy but you wanted to kiss like a girl. But every time she would wake up slowly against him. Her soft smile would make him melt and her quiet blush would make him think she might have been dreaming about him.

"Finn, buddy, we kinda need a decision here." Mr. Schue was getting even more desperate and the silence was even heavier.

Finn cleared his throat, looked the girl wearing the kind of frown only he could see in the eyes. "I choose you... Mr. Schue, I choose Mercedes."

Gone- _First Time and Second Tries_

Finn isn't sure what he thought the morning after his first time was supposed to be like. He had been more worried about actually getting to sex to think about that. The cold spot next to him and the lingering smell of her soft perfume was still not what he had in mind.

He hadn't planned it. He's pretty sure she didn't either. She was happy about getting into a summer music program and he was happy to see her smile. With Kurt gone, she didn't have anyone to celebrate with. Finn was happy to be the one she shared her news with. They sipped sparkling cider out of champagne glasses next to the kitchen sink.

Their laughter filled the empty house. The light look of happiness on her face made him give into his impulses and kiss her. She tasted like apples and peaches. She tasted better than he ever thought she would.

She keeps her eyes closed while he undresses her. Miles of smooth flesh become the best thing he's every touched. She quivers under his fingers. Her breathy gasps push him over the edge. Being inside her makes him want to never leave. She's heat and tight and warmth. Her body convulses around him in pleasure. They make love three times that night and he falls asleep inside her.

When he wakes up, the sun is still rising and she's not beside him. The pain that rips through his chest eases slightly as he reaches the top of the stairs. She's sitting on the back step looking into the sky. The wind danced in her hair and it carried her scent to him at the door. He's not sure how long he stands there, watching her but her quiet whisper breaks the spell.

"I didn't think you'd want me to stay but it was too early to walk home when I got up. Please don't ask me to leave yet. I'll go in a bit, okay?" The sad resignation in her voice breaks his heart.

Finn walks over to her and pulls her up to stand beside him. He presses a soft kiss to her lips and smiles despite her confused expression.

"Good morning, beautiful. I missed waking up with you . C'mon, I'm making pancakes."

The next time he kisses her she has tears in her eyes and tastes like buttery syrup. The next morning he wakes up with her head on his chest and her hair tickling his nose. He thinks that this was the kind of morning after he could get used to.

Sweat- _Before and After_

Summer used to be the months of staying in an empty house during the day while his mom worked. Summer used to be having no friends outside of school. Until he became friends with Puck, summers used to be about playing with his action figures alone. Summer used to be no one being there when he was trying to learn how to ride his bike. But that was before Burt. Before Kurt. Before Mercedes.

Now, Finn is loving summer. It's pool parties and glee parties. It's singing until two am in the soundproof basement and all day iHalo/i tournaments. It's Mercedes practically moving into Kurt's room. It's about Finn knowing what she sounds like when she sleeps. It's Mercedes looking at him like she wants to kiss him. It's about Finn working up the nerve to actually make a move.

The three of them spend hours by the pool. Kurt complains when they splash him with water. Mercedes laughs like no one is watching. Finn watches the water and summer sweat dance on Mercedes' skin.

The day he finally kisses her, she tastes like salt, chlorine and cherry Popsicle. She tastes like summer and she tastes like _his._

Moon- _Eavesdropping and Sleepovers_

There are a lot of things Finn loves about the new house. Three bathrooms, his new bedroom had a walk-in closet and his window was big enough that he could almost always see the moon from his bed. The downside was that Kurt's room was not soundproof. That's why he was currently staring at his ceiling becoming increasingly annoyed by the giggles filtering through the thin wall that separated their rooms.

The loud exclamation forced him out of his bed and he pressed his ear against the wall.

"Mercedes Jones, I can see that blush from a mile away. You have a crush." Kurt's teasing voice lit a fire in Finn's stomach. Jealousy ripped through him at the mere thought Mercedes might like someone.

Mercedes' silence stretched until Kurt spoke again. "Sadie, c'mon. Seriously, who is it? It can't be that embarrassing... it can't be worse than mine. Noah Puckerman, of all people. You think I've told anyone else about that one? Finn would probably die if he knew. So...spill?"

Finn wasn't surprised at the latest development. He was stupid but he wasn't ithat/i stupid. As the silence stretched, the pit in his stomach grew. Mercedes won't hold on to a secret like this if it was a little crush. This was something major. He really needed her to answer the question. He needed to know who's face he had to go beat.

Her whisper was muffled by the drywall but Kurt's surprised gasp echoed through his room. Mercedes' hurried response echoed just as loudly.

"Listen, you don't have to say it, okay? I get that it's never gonna happen. But I just can't help it. He's so sexy. Every time I see him it's hard not to blush. I know he'll never want me that way but I can handle just being friends with him. That's kinda my lot in life, isn't. Falling for all the boys that I can never call my own. You can't and he won't." Her sad tone made him want to go beat that guy's face for a whole other reason.

Finn heard the rustling of blankets and Kurt's comforting tone. "I know what it's like. Being in love with Finn Hudson isn't easy. You'll get over him when the time is right."

"Maybe I don't want to get over it. Just because it hurts a bit doesn't mean I don't want to love him."

Kurt turns on the music and it drowns out the rest of their conversation. Finn falls asleep, seriously contemplating kicking his own ass for making Mercedes feel like he could never want her. He wants her, all right. Like, _think about her everyday and imagining she's mine,_ kind of want.

The next day at breakfast, Mercedes is sleep rumpled and gorgeous. He makes her eggs the way she always eats them and catches the way she fights to hide her blush.

While he watches her eat, he is putting the finishing touches on an awesome plan to show her how much he wants her. It all starts on Monday. Until then, he just watches her nibble shyly and thanks god for thin walls.


End file.
